Within the sacred column of light, the tree knots and flesh, losing their external support, rapidly disintegrated, as if snow had met red-hot iron balls. An indescribable hissing sound filled the air, and Cynthia's face furrowed, expressing intense pain. She struggled to turn left and right, raising her head and looking down, her expression gradually becoming fearful and confused, as though she finally realized something was amiss. "General..." her voice trembled, trembling with both fear and despair as she gazed forward—only to find a stranger's face. Originally, Caine could have fed the "thirsty hunger" with Cynthia's remaining flesh and spirit, but now he merely sighed, speaking calmly: "From now on, avoid coming into contact with unusual objects or religious practices." In his view, Cynthia's current state either involved a heretical sect or stemmed from a dangerous object that had linked her to an entity she could not bear to look upon, thus explaining her response. Cynthia suddenly grasped something—her head barely intact, her body barely fleshed, suddenly wept: "Yes, yes, the Tree of Desire, the Celestial Sect... General, General, I don't want to die! I don't want to die! Save me! Save me!" The Tree of Desire... the Celestial Sect... these things were beyond my esoteric knowledge. Klein's expression remained unchanged. With a compassionate gaze upon the collapsing, pleading Cynthia, he once again opened his arms and spoke softly: "Death is not the end. You will find redemption among the gods." Another column of clear, pure light descended, and Cynthia's beautiful face, streaming with tears, was completely frozen in place. Her gaze had suddenly become desperate, yet still carried a faint hope for the afterlife. Under the light of the Sun, her head and her remaining body melted and vanished, undergoing final purification. Klein watched the scene with apparent calm, showing no change in expression or movement. When everything had settled, a slight curve formed at the corner of his lips as he sighed, a touch bitter in his voice: "What a crazy, chaotic world..." The recent events had made him hesitant to directly commune with the spirit realm; the many strange occurrences had even led him to abandon the plan of transporting Cyntha's spirit to the misty realm to question her directly. Faced with that ever-present, oppressive evil that was steadily corroding him, he could only choose to ensure Cyntha received timely purification—after all, in a world with true gods, there might indeed be a heavenly realm beyond death. As for the counter-effect of the "creeping hunger," Kline had no immediate concerns. After all this time of companionship, the magical object, which had been partially sealed, had grown increasingly well-adapted to him. It no longer required immediate nourishment after each use—once restored to its original state, it would consume only once every 24 hours, regardless of how many times it had been used. Of course, on days when it remained unused, it would require no feeding at all. Thus, Caine still has ample time to seek food for the "thirsty hunger" without harming the innocent. If necessary, he can even send them into the gray mist. Caine glanced around and found that the members of the general's guard, as well as the male and female servants within the house, had all been affected by the amplified desires and had fallen unconscious—among them, the maid who had been clutching her companion's throat to gain praise and recognition, and the blonde secretary, Lurain. "Indeed, only by addressing the root of the problem can we truly bring an end to the matter..." "According to General Emirius, Lurian is at least an extraordinary being of Sequence 6, possibly even the 'Corroded Baron,' and may have quietly reached Sequence 5. Yet he was so easily controlled by the surge of his own desires. This indicates that the nature of the power drawn from Cynthesia's arrival is exceptionally potent. Yet why, then, did I merely experience a pleasant dream?" "Excluding the magical artifacts, I and Lurian should be at the same level." "Could it be that the power which weaves the gray mist with reality has provided some assistance? Or perhaps the temporary contractual limitations imposed by General Emirius? Or both?" "Ah, without these factors, as the primary target of Cynthesia, my own desires would surely have been amplified to the utmost—my experience would have far exceeded a simple, romantic dream." Kline habitually reached out with his right hand to gently touch his face, restoring himself to the appearance of Emirius Levet. Since the others no longer faced imminent danger, he carefully examined the room, and inspiration struck. Taking a few steps forward, Caine reached the spot where Cynthia had vanished, bending down to pick up a necklace from the pile of torn garments on the bed. The necklace hung a pendant the size of a finger, entirely black in appearance, shaped like a miniature rhinoceros horn. Its surface was dull, covered with numerous cracks, and aside from a certain eerie quality, it showed no signs of spiritual radiance. "Is this the dangerous object that caused Cynthia's transformation? Having connected with the entity that cannot be directly seen, it has fulfilled its purpose, channeling all its power into Cynthia's body?" Caine made an initial conjecture based on the pendant's condition and his prior experiences. He surveyed the scene for a while, finding no further results. Then he removed the paper figure, attended to the现场 traces, and lifted the restrictions on the incantations. Next, he walked over to Lueran, the golden-haired secretary whose office had been briefly consumed and left with faint signs of corrosion, and gently kicked him several times with the tip of his knee. Given Emirius's character, he would never have done something as simple as crouching down to rouse the secretary... Ah, how much he had disliked that arrogant, superior attitude of the man's before—now he truly wanted to give him a good scolding. Kline paused, his expression serious and composed as Lueran slowly came to consciousness. "Admiral," Lueran said, momentarily confused, unsure whether he was still in the midst of a dream or in reality. As a superior, you have no obligation to explain... Caine looked down at him, his voice low. "Wake all the lightly injured here. Treat some of them, and immediately investigate the celestial sect on Oraavi Island. They worship a demon known as the 'Desire Mother Tree.' Begin your inquiry with those around Cyndia. I'll be waiting in the study." With that, he held the broken miniature rhinoceros pendant in his hand and turned, stepping out of the main bedroom and into the quiet study untouched by the disturbance. As a high-ranking military figure, although he often feels helpless when dealing with the royal elite and must selectively overlook certain matters—such as the recent telegraphic order appointing a new governor to replace the current one, who had already arrived on the island, indicating that the replacement had departed well in advance—yet as the supreme commander of the Zhong-Sunia Navy, Emeric Levet had not even received a single notice. On Orlavi Island, however, before the Lurian secretary, the local police, and the naval base personnel, he commands absolute authority, requiring no personal investigation, as he always has sufficient staff at his disposal. A half-god only needs to remain vigilant against unforeseen events and await developments—he need not rush or be constantly on the move! In his study, Caine listened to the chaotic footsteps, startled cries, inquiries, and conversations outside, and involuntarily conjured up the brilliant expanse of the starry sky and the radiant star shining brightly within it. "What does this all symbolize?" Klein furrowed his brow and sat down in the back chair behind the desk, his figure blending into the darkness brought by the curtains. He quickly formed a few associations—thanks to the myths of the Silver City and Emlyn White's descriptions of the vampire situation—he now believed that the "Moon" path held authority over reproduction and proliferation, which aligned well with Cyntha's intentions and actions. "A brilliant expanse of stars… 'The Gatekeeper' told Emperor Roscel that the goddess's corresponding Tarot card is 'The Star,' not 'The Moon.' Does this ethereal starry sky then symbolize her? Hmm. The 'Primordial Moon' is suspected to be merely a disguise of a deity, an angel, or a high-ranking demon. The goddess herself is known as the 'Red Moon.' Could it be that He has assumed the mantle of the 'Primordial Moon,' claiming that position and securing the necessary authority?" Although Klein knew such thoughts were deeply disrespectful, he could not help but begin to question the Night Goddess. But he quickly dismissed this hypothesis, since whether it was the vampire progenitor Lilith or the "Primordial Moon," what emerged was purely a focus on "reproduction and proliferation," with no involvement of appetite, pride, or the desire for recognition—contradicting the manifestations observed in earlier victims. Moreover, the other titles of the Night Goddess did not encompass these domains. "This indeed aligns with the characteristics of the 'Demon' path—the 'Apex of Desire' specialists are particularly well-suited in this regard... Could it truly be a high-ranking demon, even the Demon King himself, known as the 'Cosmic Shadow,' the Sequence 0 'Deep One,' who has taken the place of the 'Primordial Moon'? This possibility seems strong, yet the issue remains: such a figure should manifest a fantastical celestial sky and luminous stars—yet neither the 'Moon' nor the 'Deep One' is associated with such symbolic imagery..." The more Klein pondered, the more he found this hypothesis problematic. As his thoughts flowed, he suddenly recalled a concept. A concept that frequently appears as a central theme in the esoteric knowledge he has encountered, yet has never been thoroughly described or explained—this is the "Celestial Realm!" While a few organizations, such as the School of Vitalism, believe in more niche ideas like the "World of Absolute Rationality," most esoteric traditions view the world as composed of three realms: the "Real World," the "Spiritual Realm," and the "Celestial Realm." The "Real World" is self-evident, and the knowledge of the "Spiritual Realm" forms the foundation for many ritual magic traditions and extraordinary abilities. In Klein's understanding, however, the "Celestial Realm" remains largely unexplored. "Therefore, the fantastical night sky symbolizes the 'Celestial Realm,' and the bright stars represent certain beings within it? I've always suspected that the 'Celestial Realm' is the abode of the true deities—so it's not unreasonable to interpret this symbolic image as representing the 'Primordial Moon.' "Klein paused, no longer needing to ponder further, as he recalled the finer details from the past few days and awaited the results of his subordinates' investigations. Time passed, second by second, until finally, Caine heard the familiar footsteps ascending the stairs and drawing nearer. Laurian, the golden-haired secretary, knocked and entered, lowered her head, and reported calmly: "Sir, we have located the Celestial Order and captured their leader. This information was provided by the Lady Cynthia's parents. The Order has been quite active in Orlavi over the past few years, advocating for nudity, a return to nature, and the full expression of one's nature—believing that humanity achieves spiritual liberation in such a state. Procreation is seen as a natural byproduct of this philosophy." Pausing briefly, Laurian added: "Their leader is an extraordinary individual—a Sequence 8 'Mad One.' A 'Mad One'? A 'Mad One' from the Prison Path? Related to the Rose Order?" Well, within the Rosicrucian school, there are two factions—the one advocating moderation and the other embracing indulgence—the latter's principles align very well with the current situation... Kline was startled, yet remained composed, saying, "Bring him here."